In Vancouver's Point Grey neighbourhood, on a large three-parcel lot, is a 110-year-old log house that's teeming with history. And for $16 million, it can be yours.
The six-bedroom home, located at 4686 W 2nd Avenue, came up for sale this month and has one of the most interesting back stories out of any property on the Vancouver market. As listing agent Kevin Hardy explains, the home was built in 1912 by contractor James Cashman after he purchased a number of leftover telephone poles initially intended for BC Hydro.
"He bought the poles and had them barged to Kits where they were dragged by horse and carriage to where they sit currently," Hardy said.
The log house undoubtedly stands out among the west-coast-style homes that populate Vancouver, and after having sold real estate for 15 years, Hardy says he's never seen anything quite like it in the area.
"I love the fact that it's the only log house that I'm aware of in Point Grey, maybe in Kits, maybe even in the entirety of the west of Burrard," Hardy said. "It's pretty remarkable that it's still standing."
It comes as no surprise that the house, which spans just under 5,000 sq. ft, is listed in the Vancouver Heritage Register. And although the dark log exterior is easily the most eye-catching part of the home that transports you to another era, there are historical touches on the inside as well, like the two original stone fireplaces.
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But of course the interior of the home has been updated since the house was first built. In 1958, the three bathrooms and primary bedroom were renovated by Fred Hollingsworth, the architect who helped pioneer West Coast modernism. The renovation, Hardy notes, gives the space a "really interesting shift in its architecture." The kitchen has also seen some upgrades since the home was built, but it hasn't been renovated in roughly 50 years.
Specs:
- Address: 4686 W 2nd Avenue, Vancouver
- Bedrooms: 6
- Bathrooms: 3
- Size: 4,906 sq. ft
- Lot size: 16,671 sq. ft
- Price: $16,000,000
- Listed by: Will McKitka and Kevin Hardy, Sotheby's International Realty Canada
Prior to coming up for sale, the house was occupied by the same resident, artist and collector Jean Fahrni, for 70 years. Fahrni, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 101, often used the log house to host other artists, well-known families, and politicians.
"She was good friends with a lot of very affluent artists in BC like Bill Reid, and they would have these potlucks every year," Hardy said. "It was just this meeting place of art and culture."
Although the home is listed in the Heritage Register, it unfortunately doesn't have any by-law protections against renovations or demolitions. And with the property being comprised of three parcels of land, a buyer could easily build multiple new buildings.
"It'd be a shame but technically the house could come down," Hardy said. "It would be our hope that the next purchaser who buys the property would restore or densify the the lot, but it really comes down to the purchaser and what they see their vision being."
